Holder for spools of thread and other articles



D. l. FRIDOLPH 3,284,025

HOLDER FOR SPOOLS 0F THREAD AND OTHER ARTICLES Nov. 8, 1966 Filed April 7, 1964 INVENTOR. Zoe/J1 1 2/ 04 PH United States Patent 3,284,025 HDLDER FOR SPOOLS F THREAD AND OTHER ARTICLES Doris I. Fridolph, 1233 Smithwood Drive, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Apr. 7, 1%4, Ser. No. 357,91? 2 Claims. (Cl. 242137) This invention relates to holders for spools of thread and other articles and more specifically to a novel and improved tubular device in which articles such as spools of thread and the like may be readily inserted and removed. In the case of thread, the invention affords convenient means for removal of thread from the spools within the holder, for retaining the thread ends in an accessible position and for severing lengths of thread removed from the spools.

The packaging of many articles and particularly spools of thread has heretofore presented a problem as it is often important that the article be viewed directly by the purchaser for the purpose of determining color, size and other characteristics. In the case of thread, the spools are usually placed in open containers so that they may be readily removed for color comparison, and frequent handling often soils or damages the thread. With this invention, the articles can be viewed while within the holder and in the case of spools of thread, the thread is protected and chances of damage are greatly minimized. Furthermore, the invention affords a convenient and practical means for holding thread and for dispensing the thread as it is needed. This avoids the customary tangles that often occur when a quantity of thread is retained within a single container.

Another object of the invention resides in a novel and improved holder for spools of thread and other articles which may be made in a variety of configurations and arranged and designed to facilitate insertion and removal of articles therefrom.

Another object of the invention resides in a novel and improved holder for spools of thread wherein the spools may be easily inserted and removed from the holder and the thread on spools within the holder may be readily and conveniently dispensed therefrom.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel and improved holder for spools of thread and other similar articles.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings forming part of this application.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a holder in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a holder similar to FIGURE 1 illustrating the manner in which spools of thread may be inserted and removed therefrom.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE 1 taken along the line 33 thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a fragmentary section of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2 and showing a thread retaining and severing element.

FIGURES 5 through 7 are cross-sectional views of modified embodiments of the invention.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 1 to 3 is of cylindrical configuration and arranged to hold four individual spools of thread, it being understood that the size and configuration of the spools would determine the length and diameter of the holder. It will also become apparent that while the holder when designed for spools of thread would normally have a cylindrical configuration, other tubular configurations may also be utilized.

More specifically and with reference to FIGURES 1 through 3, the holder is generally denoted by the numeral 1% and has a cylindrical body 11 preferably formed of a transparent plastic though any other similar materials may be utilized. The body 11 is held in its cylindrical configuration by a pair of end members or walls 12 that may be cemented or otherwise secured to the body. The end members 12 may be of any suitable material and may be in the form of solid disks or may comprise a plurality of radial members radiating outwardly from a common center, it being merely necessary to provide a suitable closure for the retention of articles within the cylindrical body and to aid in the retention of the shape of the cylindrical body.

The body 11 is further provided with a plurality of openings 13 which are particularly useful when the holder is intended for the retention of spools of thread since these openings facilitate removal of the spools from the holder. It will be observed that the edges 14 of the body 11 are in spaced relationship one to the other and form a relatively wide elongated slot therebetween. By fonming the body 11 out of a resilient material such as plastic or the like, the spools of thread can be inserted and removed merely by spreading the edges 14 apart as shown in FIG- URE 2. In this case, the spool of thread 15 is in the process of being inserted within the holder 10.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG- URES 1 through 3, at least one end wall 12 is provided with a thread retaining and severing means 16 which may be in the form of a circular member cemented or otherwise fastened thereto. The thread end retaining means 16 has a plurality of tabs 17 inclined outwardly from the body 18. In this way, the end of the thread from each spool 15 may be brought out through the slot defined by the edges 14 of the body and hooked about each of the tabs 17. When thread is needed, the end need merely be disengaged from its tab and after a suitable length of thread is removed, it can be again inserted beneath the tab and then by applying suitable stress to the thread the tab edge will function to sever the thread while retaining the remaining thread end.

It is desirable, in the construction of the holder for use in retaining spools of thread 15, that the diameter of the body 11 be slightly greater than the spool and the total length be slightly greater than the total length of the spools to be retained therein A modified embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGURE 4. In this embodiment, which is denoted by the numeral 10', the body 11 is provided with a triangularly shaped tab 19 formed from the body material itself. The tab is severed from the body along the edges 20 and remains connected along the edge 21. By deflecting the tab 19 slightly outwardly as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the thread end may be readily and easily inserted between the tab 19 and the body 11 and the raw edge of the tab 19 will function to sever the thread when desired. With the utilization of a tab 19 for each of the several spools retained within the body, the threads are all maintained in spaced relationship and thus simplify rem-oval of thread from a selected spool.

While the holder in accordance with the invention has been illustrated as being of cylindrical configuration when used for retaining spools of thread, it may of course have other configurations such as shown in FIGURES 5 through 7. In FIGURE 5, the body, generally denoted by the numeral 22, is pentagonal in configuration and may be utilized for retaining circular as well as pentagonal objects. For purposes of illustration, a spool of thread 15 is shown within the holder and is inserted and removed in the same manner illustrated and described in FIGURES 1 to 3 by separation of the edges 23 sufficiently to permit insertion or removal of the article. FIGURE 6 is similar to FIGURE 5 except that the body, denoted by the numeral 24, is of triangular configuration, while in FIG- URE 7 the body 25 of the holder is of generally rectangular configuration. The structures of FIGURES 5 through 7 are shown by Way of example to illustrate the usefulness of the invention for articles having shapes other than cylindrical or spherical.

While only certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is apparent that alterations, modifications and changes may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for spools of thread comprising an elongated tubular member of relatively thin pliable material and having a relatively wide slot extending throughout the length thereof, said slot having a width of the order of one-half the diameter of said spools, end members secured to the ends of said tubular member for retention of spools Within said tubular member and maintaining the configuration thereof, said tubular member having a plurality of openings opposite said slot and spaced at intervals along its length with each interval being approximately equalto the length of a spool, and thread attaching and cutting means carried by said holder for each spool of thread.

2. A holder according to claim 1 wherein said thread attaching and cutting means is carried by one of said end members, the last said means and the last said member having registering openings for the accommodation of threads from said spools.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 225,437 3/ 1880 Terrell et al 242-137 1,827,000 10/1931 Duflin 242137 3,018,067 1/1962 Vandervoort 242-137 FOREIGN PATENTS 595,497 4/ 1960 Canada. 898,580 12/1953 Germany.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Examiner. 

1. A HOLDER FOR SPOOLS OF THREAD COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR MEMBER OF RELATIVELY THIN PLIABLE MATERIAL AND HAVING A RELATIVELY WIDE SLOT EXTENDING THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF, SAID SLOT HAVING A WIDTH OF THE ORDER OF ONE-HALF THE DIAMETER OF SAID SPOOLS, END MEMBERS SECURED TO THE ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER FOR RETENTION OF SPOOLS WITHIN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND MAINTAINING THE CONFIGURATION THEREOF, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS OPPOSITE SAID SLOT AND SPACED AT INTERVALS ALONG ITS LENGTH WITH EACH INTERVAL BEING APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF A SPOOL, AND THREAD ATTACHING AND CUTTING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOLDER FOR EACH SPOOL OF THREAD. 